Will My SSDI Benefits Change if I Move to a New State?
If you are currently receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits and you move to another state your benefits will not change. The SSDI program is overseen by the federal government, not state governments. This means that the state you live in does not impact the benefits you receive, as the program serves the country as a whole. The SSDI benefits that you receive are based solely on prior earnings and work credits.
While moving will not impact your benefits, it is important to notify the Social Security Administration (SSA) prior to any changes in address or living arrangement.
Why Should I Notify The SSA if I Move?
If you receive your SSA benefits by mail, you should contact the SSA prior to any address change. By doing this, you can prevent any delays in payments or avoid having your payments sent to an old address.
Even if you do not receive your SSDI benefits by mail, you should still notify the SSA with any changes in your living arrangement. The SSA will want an up to date record of your address.
Updating your address can help to maintain your eligibility for benefits so that you can continue to receive payments. From time to time the SSA may need to send you important documentation regarding your benefits, or actions you may need to take to remain qualified for benefits. Keeping your address up to date will ensure that you will receive all important documents as soon as they are sent.
Could I Continue to Receive SSDI Benefits if I Move Overseas?
American citizens who qualify for SSDI benefits can continue to receive them if they decide to move overseas. As long as you maintain your citizen status and meet the requirements for SSDI benefits, the SSA will send you monthly payments.
The SSA even has a list of countries that you can become a citizen of and still continue to receive disability benefits. However, there are some exceptions. If beneficiaries move to one of the countries where the SSA is not allowed to send payments, they will no longer receive SSDI.
Are There Any SSA Benefits that Could be Impacted By Moving?
The SSA is part of the federal government, yet some benefits from the SSA could be affected if you move to another state.
Similarly to SSDI benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is also a benefits program from the SSA. But unlike SSDI benefits, SSI benefits could change if you move to another state.
Federal SSI benefits that you receive will not be affected by moving, but any state supplements that you receive with SSI benefits could be. A move may also change the way that your SSI benefits are administered. The reasoning for this change is that some states administer their own supplements to SSI beneficiaries, while other states have their administration handled by the SSA.
If you move from a state where the SSA handles the administration of SSI benefits to another state that does the same, your SSI benefits should not be impacted- Aside from a change in amount.
If you move to a state that handles the administration of its own SSI benefits, you will need to apply for SSI benefits in the new state. If you move to a state that does not offer SSI benefits, you will not receive any state supplement.
The list of states and how they handle SSI administration can be found on the SSA’s website.
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